COCRA Supports the Deposition Reporters Association's [DRA] Motion for an NCRA Bylaws Amendment – Make Your Vote Count through NCRA Direct Member Voting!

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(For your convenience, directions on how to vote through NCRA’s Direct Member Voting Process and DRA’s amendment are listed below)

Mark your calendars! On July 24th, 2008, at 10:30 a.m., NCRA will hold its annual business meeting.

Why is this important to you? Because DRA has an important amendment that will pass if enough of you vote through “Direct Member Voting.” We realize most of you may not be able to attend the business meeting in Anaheim; therefore, it is vital you follow the directions below so your vote and voice will count.

With DRA’s permission, we copied their message below. If you would like to read it directly from their site, please go to www.caldra.org.

DRA is working hard to ensure all court reporters throughout the State of California have a voice. Let’s do them the service of joining in their efforts.

Directions for Direct Member Voting:

• Go to http://www.ncraonline.org/ July 15, 2008

• Make sure NCRA has your current email address

• You can contact them by clicking on the “sign-in” link or the “View/Edit Member Information” link in the left-hand column

• If you do NOT see those two links, contact NCRA at 800-272-6262

On July 24, 2008, at 10:30 a.m., you will sign on to a secure site and watch the transcript and video feed of the meeting. You can then vote through a private link for up to 12 hours.

Thanks for your time!

THE COCRA TEAM

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COPY OF DRA’S PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENT

COPIED FROM www.caldra.org

JOIN US IN ANAHEIM

JULY 24, 2008 AND VOTE TO SUPPORT OUR PROPOSED BYLAWS AMENDMENT!

The Deposition Reporters Association of California will again seek an NCRA bylaws amendment in order to have the opportunity to be considered an affiliate.

Some of you may recall a proposed amendment to accomplish this in 2002 and 2003. The vote in 2003 was favorable, 135 for/95 against, just not reaching the two-thirds required for the amendment to pass.

Since that time NCRA has endeavored to treat DRA, as much as possible, as a recognized state affiliate, which is greatly appreciated. However, we still aspire to be a full-fledged partner with NCRA, able to proudly say we are an NCRA affiliate working for the benefit of the profession, able to propose resolutions to NCSA, able to vote on resolutions proposed by others, able to give voice to the hundreds of NCRA members that DRA represents.

The previous bylaws proposal was to add language to allow for more than one affiliate in states with over 3,000 NCRA members. We have decided this time to use a percentage instead of a specific number. Hence, the proposed change would read as follows:

Amend Article XVI, Section 3(c) to read:

“Only one affiliated unit [shall] may be recognized from any one state, with the exception of states wherein the number of NCRA members exceeds 10 percent of NCRA membership.”

The change from “shall” to “may” is to ensure that potential affiliate status is not automatic, giving the NCRA board discretion to decide whether it is appropriate.

DRA appreciates that multiple state associations would not be sustainable in most other states. However, in California they do exist and are large enough to support full-time paid lobbyists and executive directors.

This amendment is not about seeking to replace the current California NCRA affiliate (CCRA). Rather, we are seeking inclusion for our NCRA members who have chosen DRA to represent them in their state and who wish that representation to be extended to the national arena. There is no avenue to do so without a bylaws amendment.

NCRA is known as an association of members, not states. We believe that denying DRA the opportunity to affiliate with NCRA and to have a full voice at NCSA is in conflict with this premise and disenfranchises many members based solely on a geographic determination. In terms of NCRA membership, DRA ranks among the top ten associations in the country.

DRA hopes that NCRA and its affiliate state leaders want to hear about its accomplishments and programs, including several legislative successes. We hope they want to hear, as well, a perspective that sometimes differs from that of the California NCRA affiliate.

DRA exists, has thrived and grown for over ten years, and is “home” to hundreds of NCRA members. Our goal is inclusion, participation and recognition.

Please join us in Anaheim on July 24th at the NCRA annual business meeting, in conjunction with the convention, when this amendment will be discussed and voted on! GIVE IT YOUR VOTE OF SUPPORT!

If you can’t make it in person and wish to vote on line, here is what you will need to do:

Join NCRA if you haven’t already!

Verify NCRA has a current email address for you. You can do this by going to www.NCRAonline.org. Look for the “View/Edit Member Information” comment in the left-hand column or call 800-272-6272.

In order to vote via the Web at the Anaheim business meeting, members will be able to sign on to the secure web site, review the transcript and video feed for the meeting, and vote through a private, secure link during the 12-hour voting period. Results will be verified by a third party.

The NCRA link is not up yet but will be clearly visible on NCRA’s site,

www.NCRAonline.org

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

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